


Not Exactly

by Candles_93



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: AU, All Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Army, Bamon, F/M, I did so little research, Marines!Damon, Minor Elena Gilbert/Stefan Salvatore, Soldier!Damon, They write letters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-10
Updated: 2017-09-10
Packaged: 2018-12-26 03:25:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12050307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Candles_93/pseuds/Candles_93
Summary: Damon and Bonnie have known each other their entire lives. Damon leaves to join the Marines and Bonnie writes him letters.





	Not Exactly

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this 2 years ago in the hopes of editing and lengthening the story, it never happened so you can just have it as it is. I did little research in the American Army/Marines, so sorry if you care about accuracy.

Mystic Falls is the kind of small town where everyone knows everyone. Where families go back generations, where when you do something stupid you can bet your ass your parents will know about it by the time you get back home. The kind of town where people have seen countless locals fall in love and get married, so when they predict someone's future, it is almost certain to come true.

  
That's why since she was six years old Bonnie Bennett has known that Stefan Salvatore and Elena Gilbert would one day fall in love. Everyone in town says it to each other. The adults all start giving them what Bonnie calls the 'Stefan-and-Elena' smile whenever the two of them pass by.

  
The trio of old ladies are sitting on the bench at the local park on Saturday morning for their weekly knitting club and they have that particular smile on their face as they watch Stefan push Elena on the swing. Bonnie can't help but watch them too as she listens to the old ladies gossip about the children on the swings.

  
"Such adorable children" They say.

  
"Grow up to be upstanding adults" They say.

  
"Married before they're out of college I bet" They say.

  
Bonnie feels a tug on one of her pigtails and spins on her heels coming face to face with an eight year old Damon Salvatore. She soon forgets about trying to understand the strange minds of the grownups in her town, as Damon smirks at her and she sets about chasing him across the park and trying mash his face into the sandpit in retaliation.  
The other thing about small towns is that your group of friends usually stays the same all your life. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, who wants to have to keep making new friends every couple of years? That's exhausting!

  
Bonnie has known Elena, Caroline, Stefan, and Damon her entire life. Every single memory she has they are there. Caroline bossing them about, Elena's sweet smile, Stefan's calm attitude and Damon's ease for getting them both in and out of trouble.

  
So by the time Bonnie starts High School she knows exactly what group she is going to be part of and who she's going to sit next to in her classes.

  
Bonnie is fourteen and not long into her freshman year when Stefan finally asks Elena on a real date. The entire town is in a tizzy about it. Mothers gossiping in the grocery store and all the kids at school giggling as they walk past.

  
Elena blushes pink for a whole two days after Stefan asks her. They make plans to go to the movies on Friday night and go for milkshakes after. It's the standard Mystic Falls first date. It goes, as expected, completely perfectly. Elena calls Bonnie at 11pm on Friday night when she gets in and talks for an hour straight about how amazing it was. And thus the power couple is born.

  
Bonnie has spent the majority of her childhood round at the Salvatore's boarding house. From play dates when she was a baby to casual group hangouts as she grew older. So once Elena and Stefan start dating, the two of them try extra hard to make sure to keep including their friends and not ditch them all together. Saturdays soon come to consist of Elena dragging Bonnie round to Stefan's house in an attempt to make a 'casual' hang out, sometimes Caroline comes along, this particular weekend she can't. So Bonnie is stuck watching Stefan and Elena play Mario cart in the Salvatore living room and bump each other's shoulders playfully. She's sprawled across the couch trying not to fall asleep.  
She felt a presence behind her but didn't flinch. Damon draped his arms over the couch next to her, resting his head close to hers.

  
"What's up BonBon, don't like video games?" He asked pouting at her.

  
"Bored. Hungry. Having two of your best friends be a couple is more annoying than you might expect it to be. Did I mention hungry?"

  
She heard Damon stand up next to her and call out to the oblivious duo out sat in front of the TV, "I'm kidnapping Bonnie, try to be less cutesy when we get back"

  
Stefan is distracted long enough to call over his shoulder, "Don't traumatise her too much".

  
Bonnie looked up at Damon over the back of the couch, narrowing her eyes at him, he simply smirked at her tilting his heard toward the kitchen. She shrugged and followed him.

  
Damon wanders around the kitchen opening cupboards and the fridge calling out the different food they have.

  
"Ok, we've got, peanut butter, nachos, way too much cereal, day old spaghetti and pancake mix"

  
"Pancake mix? If you're going to make pancakes you have to do it from scratch" Bonnie rests her elbow on the counter opposite Damon.

  
He holds up the box of mix and waves it in front of her face, "Well if you want pancakes, we got mix, otherwise you can have nachos, besides they totally taste the same"

  
Bonnie raises an eyebrow and goes about picking up ingredients from around the kitchen to make pancakes from scratch.

  
"We will just see about that"

  
The next couple of hours consists of Damon making pancakes from the mix and Bonnie making pancakes from scratch. They manage to get one pancake on the ceiling and one on the floor and both of them are covered in flour from one heated argument about how much milk to use. But soon enough there are two stacks of pancakes and Damon as to reluctantly agree that Bonnies are better. Elena and Stefan are lured into the kitchen not long after by the smell and then all four of them are seated around the big table adding blueberries and chocolate and bananas. It's the nicest day Bonnie has had in a while.

  
A few months later comes the couple's first big fight. It's over something stupid and ridiculous that's only a big deal when you're fifteen. Bonnie and Damon are somehow roped into being neutral parties, and end up being the go between for Stefan and Elena for the entire week the couple fights.

  
They walk up to each other, meeting in the middle of one of the hallways at school. Damon rolls his eyes, and everyone around them pretends not to eavesdrop.

  
"Elena wants Stefan to know that she is upset still and is waiting for an apology" Bonnie tells him, hands on her hips and so over this shit.

  
"Stefan wants Elena to know that he respects her feelings but he feels he is also owed an apology" 

"Elena knows this but still insists he apologise first"

  
"Damon is considering breaking up with Elena on behalf of Stefan because this is freaking ridiculous"

  
"Bonnie almost wishes you would as she is also sick of this stupid fight"

"Damon thinks there must be a way to make this more beneficial for us"

"Bonnie is surprised you haven't got Stefan to pay you for acting like a messenger the past few days"

  
"Damon is most definitely going to be cashing in huge favours with his baby brother because of this"

"Bonnie is wondering why we're still talking in the third person?"

  
"Damon thinks Bonnie has a good point" Bonnie smiles at him and rolls her eyes this time. "Bring Elena round to the house tonight, we can force them to make up for the sake of our sanity."

  
"Sounds like a plan" They smile at each other and then walk off in opposite directions.

 

 

Bonnie is in sophomore year when all her friends go to their first big party. It's mainly older kids she doesn't know and a lot of alcohol. Bonnie has had a few beers and her eyes are feeling a little heavy. Stefan and Elena are in some dark corner making out, Caroline is playing pool with some of the football player she knows whilst Bonnie watches.  
"What's up BonBon? You not going to show these amateurs who's boss?" Damon comes walking up to the wall that Bonnie is leaning against, smirking at her.

  
"My hands are kinda tingling, so I thought best to sit it out for now"

  
"How many beers have you had?" Damon laughs at her, taking a sip from his own cup.

  
"Like three....maybe four"

  
"Ah yes, first time drinking, good times" He chuckles again as she attempts to scowl at him. "You're drunk kiddo"

  
"I am not drunk, i've drank before, I can handle a few beers"

  
"Apparently not, come on, let's go for a drive and sober you up and then i'll drop you off home" He gently takes her elbow trying to guide her out of the room but she snatches it away.

  
"Nope, might be drunk, but I know not to get in a car with someone who's been drinking"

  
"This is just soda, I'm driving Ric and Enzo around tonight, so don't worry your pretty little head, now come on, you're bored anyway" This time he just walks away and expects her to follow. She does.

  
They drive around Mystic Falls with the windows down, and end up at the only all night diner in town. It's old and retro, but it serves the best milkshakes in the world. Damon orders her pancakes and himself a rootbeer. They sit in silence waiting for their food, it's not uncomfortable, there's just nothing they need to say. Bonnie never feels like she has to fill silences with Damon, she doesn't have to be anyone but herself, maybe because Damon never seems to be anyone but himself.

  
When her food arrives, Bonnie tucks in, the food making her sober up fast.

  
"How you feeling now?" He asks.

  
"I can feel my hands again, so pretty great"

  
Damon just nods and sips at his drink.

  
"So you're a senior this year" She states, looking up at him over her plate.

  
"That I am" He smiles, quirking his eyebrow wondering where she is going with this.

  
"Any idea what you're going to do once you graduate?"

  
"Join the army probably"

  
Bonnie snorts, almost choking on her food, but then she looks up and sees the serious expression on his face.

  
"Holy crap you're not joking, the army, really?"

  
"Yeah, i've always wanted to join the army, it's not like I would be any good at college, I have no desire for a 9 to 5 job, so the army, fight for my country, protect the people I love"

  
He says it so casual like there is nothing else to it, like he isn't talking about joining the most dangerous profession in the world. Talking like it's fact, there's nothing else he can do. He sees her shocked expression and smiles.

  
"Why are you going to miss me BonBon?"

  
She snorts again, a smile spreading across her face, going back to her food.

  
"Not exactly"

  
"I think you'll miss me once i'm gone"

  
"I'll write you letters" She smiles, still a little buzzed, still a little horrified that when Damon mentioned leaving her heart giving an almighty thump. That's the problem with small towns, you expect people who have always been in your life, to continue being there forever.

  
He chuckles at her, "I'll respond to every one."

 

 

Bonnie turns sixteen, and Damon graduates and signs up to the Marine Corps. He completes the training and then comes home for ten days before he goes back to the Infantry Training Battalion, and then he will be assigned to a unit.

  
His mother cried and his brother hasn't left his side. The entire town is proud of their future soldier. Bonnie almost thought he would fail out of basic training, realise it was too hard, it was too much and come back home. But he passed, and now he leaves tomorrow. Bonnie has a pit in her stomach that she just can't get rid of.

  
There's a tapping at her window making her jump out of her skin. She opens the window quietly and peers into the garden below, spotting Damon's dark silhouette amongst the darkness.

  
"Shouldn't you be getting some sleep before your big day tomorrow?" She whispers into the night.

  
"I couldn't sleep" He calls back, scuffing his boot against the ground.

  
"Why are you nervous?" She sees him smile and shake his head.

  
"Me? Nervous? Don't be ridiculous. It'll be a piece of cake"

  
"Just...just don't do anything stupid"

  
"Aw BonBon, are you getting worried about me?"

  
"Not exactly"

  
The minutes pass by in silence, just the sounds of the night around them. The past twelve weeks have already been so different without him, Bonnie doesn't know how everyone is going to cope with however long he's deployed for.

  
"Bonnie, I-" Damon starts, looking up at her, she can see his bright eyes from her bedroom window, see his mouth hanging open ready to say something more. Bonnie can feel her pulse thumping through her veins, and finds herself holding her breath.

  
Damon shakes his head and grins, seeming to shake himself out of whatever he had been thinking about.

  
"You still going to write me letters?"

  
Bonnie blinks, remembering a hazy conversation from over a year ago.

  
"I'll keep you up to date on all the town gossip" They smile at each other, then Damon nods and turns to walk down the garden path and down the street. Suddenly he hears a door slam behind him, and turns back only to find himself with an armful of Bonnie. He holds her tight against his chest, can feel her death grip on the back of his leather jacket. She smells like soap and her rose perfume.

  
"I mean it Damon, don't do anything stupid" She mumbles into his shoulder.

  
"I promise"

  
They stand there, just holding each other, for what could have been a few minutes or a few hours. Finally Damon kisses the top of her head, hugging her even tighter before pulling away.

  
"I can't wait for your letters" He smiles at her one last time before sauntering away. Damon Salvatore literally saunters out of her life.

 

 

A week later Stefan gives her an address and says Damon asked him to give it to her. She stares at the address for two whole days before she finally sits down at her desk to try and write a letter. She spends about thirty minutes just trying to figure out how to start it;  
~~To Damon,~~  
~~Hey Damon,~~  
~~Sup stupid,~~  
~~Dear Soldier Damon,~~  
Dear Damon,

  
She keeps the first letter simple. She writes about how junior year is going, how the diner is adding a new flavour to the milkshake section and how the school football team lost, again. She isn't sure what to write, but she did say she would keep him updated on town gossip, not that anything exciting happens in Mystic Falls. He'll probably think it's stupid and then she won't have to write him ever again.

  
Around a week later, she's almost forgot about her letter when she gets a reply from him. Again it's just simple, 'I arrived ok, the food here is terrible, I fell asleep standing up today', sort of thing.

  
So she sends a letter back, and again he replies, and sooner than she realises she's looking forward to his letters and sending back pages upon pages of what's happening in town.

  
_Dear Damon,_

  
_Everyone here is so proud of you for being assigned to your first unit and being deployed._

  
_I've started working weekends at the boarding house to help your mum out, there's still quite a few guests around and I thought I could do some odd jobs for her. Plus she makes pancakes on Saturday mornings, not from a mix, and they're amazing!_

  
_Stefan is still wearing your leather jacket. It actually looks a little funny because it's just slightly too big for him still. Elena just passed her driving test and her parents bought her a car, which she only seems to use it to park behind the abandoned motel just outside of town and make out with your brother._

  
_Sorry too much information? You told me to keep you updated on town gossip. And everyone knows they do it, but they think it's this big secret. Like anything in this town is a secret._

  
_Jeremy seems to be doing ok as a freshmen, although Elena is pissed at you because he keeps talking about wanting to join the army after graduation now instead of going to college. You know he always looked up to you, he'll probably grow out of it in a few years anyway._

  
_Stefan finally got off the bench for the football team, AND they've actually started winning. This is not a coincidence. I'm sure he's told you all about it though. You need to get to somewhere with wifi or something so I can send you videos of his games._

  
_Enzo told me to tell you he misses you and thinks of you to keep him warm on these long winter nights. I'm sure you know more about what the hell that means, i'm trying not to think too much about it. He also winked when he told me to write that. Ric comes back most weekends from college to see him at The Grill. I don't think they'll ever admit it seriously, but I think they do miss you. But Ric says he loves college and that you'd love all the crazy parties he's been to this semester. Sometimes Enzo takes the night off work and goes with him. Also Barry down at the garage has taken Enzo on as an apprentice for when he's not working at The Grill. He's actually really good, he's been helping Stefan fix up an old car for when he passes his test._

  
_Did I tell you about Caroline taking over the cheer squad? It's hilarious! The seniors are PISSED! But she's doing such a good job they kind of just let her. She's definitely making Captain next year. She even convinced Elena to join now Stefan is actually playing on the field during matches. She tried to get me to join too, but I think i'm going to stick to working on the newspaper and yearbook for now._

  
_Mrs Peterson's dog died, it was all every tragic, there was even a funeral. And Caroline's mum had to bust Tyler, Matt and Jeremy for smoking pot in the woods. I could tell Elena wanted to get mad at him, but we've all done it, it's Mystic Falls rite of passage. At least he didn't get caught having sex in the woods like Hayley and that Mickaelson boy. I swear everyone in school wouldn't shut up about it for days!_

  
_Anyway, I think that's everything for now._

  
_Don't do anything stupid._

  
_Love Bonnie_.

 

 

_Dearest BonBon,_

  
_Being out here is something I don't think I could ever describe accurately to you. It's actually kind of terrifying, but exciting too. I'm seeing parts of the world I never thought I would, and it's not all beautiful but it is eye opening. I just want to do my part and help people in some way._

  
_I met these two women at camp, Lexie and Rose, they seem to have adopted me. They've already been out here a year and call me adorable a lot. I don't really know what to think of it. But they are pretty amazing and they make me not miss home so much._

  
_Stefan best look after my jacket! And if he's going to keep 'driving around' with Elena, tell him to check the back of bottom drawer of my bedside table. I told Enzo to look out for him whilst i'm away, by the time I get back he's going to be driving all over the place. I'm glad Ric's having a good time, tell him to not party too hard though he is supposed to be studying too! He's supposed to be the smart one._

  
_It was only a matter of time before Caroline took over the school. I just hope she's a kind dictator. And maybe you should join cheer squad, wave some pom poms, be aggressive!_

  
_Next time I see Jeremy I'll have a talk with him, tell him this isn't something you do lightly._

  
_Thanks for helping my mum out, I was worried about her when I left. I usually help out during the busy seasons, Stefan helps out when he can but I knew his new football schedule was going to keep him busy. I really appreciate it, and I know she does too. And I still argue that pancakes from a mix can taste just fine._

  
_Thanks for the update, give everyone my best._

  
_I feel like this is where I should tell you to stay out of trouble, but maybe you should get in some._

  
_Love Damon._

 

Bonnie and Damon exchange letters every few weeks for the next year and a half. It gets to the point where everyone in town knows Bonnie writes to Damon and frequently give her messages to pass on to him. Damon only writes to three people in town, his mother, his brother and Bonnie. Bonnie tries not to read too much into it.

  
Bonnie tells him about waitressing during the summer and applying for colleges and starting senior year. He tells her about the people he meets and how he misses the rain in Mystic Falls and all the things Lexie and Rose teach him.

  
Bonnie caves when she becomes a senior and joins the cheer squad with Caroline and Elena. Caroline asks her to join at the end of summer, Bonnie was in the middle of writing a reply to Damon. Caroline wants her to join so she has a distraction from Damon. Bonnie begins to argue, but then she knows Caroline right. Damon's letters become filled more with what he can tell her about the missions he's been going on and how much he misses home. She wants to tell him to come home, but knows she can't. She isn't sure how to comfort him anymore so just keeps telling him about town like she always has.

  
When she tells Damon about joining, he replies saying he knew she'd give in, and that he wouldn't mind pictures of her in uniform as proof. She blushes bright red when she reads that, but knows he's just joking around trying to make her squirm, and sends him a picture of the whole squad with Stefan in his uniform aswell.

  
It's nearing the end of the school year now and Bonnie starts receiving her acceptance letters in the post along with ones from Damon now. The closer they get to graduation the more the town speculates whether Stefan will propose to Elena before they leave for college, the local knitting group even has a betting pool.

  
Bonnie tells Damon this in her latest letter along with how everyone in town is getting prepared for the big football game next week. Caroline has them picking up extra practices to learn the new cheers.

  
The day before the big football game she get her response from Damon. The envelope is thinner than usual. She opens it up and almost drops it in shock.

  
_Dearest BonBon,_  
_I miss you._  
_Love Damon._

  
There's nothing else in the envelope, and she re reads the letter a hundred times trying to find something else, but each time it's the same. They've been writing for almost two years and even though it's been implied they've never actually said anything about missing each other. She leaves it on her desk as she rushes out for another practice, and forgets to even start a reply with preparations for the big game.

 

It's the night of the big football game. The entire town has shown up and is cheering in the stands. Caroline is stood at the front leading on all the different cheers, as Elena and Bonnie wave their pom poms behind her. Bonnie's actually having a good time, their team is winning, Stefan is playing, and her mind only strays to the letter Damon sent her every 5 minutes. She's already taken a few videos of the game on her phone to email them to him later.

  
Soon it's half time, and the squad is flipping about doing the latest cheer that Caroline has choreographed. Stefan is smiling from the sidelines, he's supposed to be listening to the coach but can't stop watching Elena. They run off to side of the field, ready to wait for the second half to start.

  
The announcer comes out over the speakers,  
"Tonight is a very special night here in Mystic Falls, as a special surprise, we have returning soldier Damon Salvatore coming home to finally watch his brother, Stefan Salvatore play for his high school team, please join me in welcoming back Damon!" The entire crowd erupts into screams as Damon appears around the edge of the stands walking along the field. Stefan is already running towards him, and they wrap their arms around each other in an affectionate hug. Damon pats his back a few times, saying something to him. They pull away and Stefan says something to Damon and then he's looking straight at Bonnie.

  
Bonnie has been frozen since the announcement, then Damon actually walking out, being there, she isn't sure how to react. They've talked almost constantly for two years, he's always been a huge part of her life. But now he's here standing in front of her and she doesn't know how to react. She's told him everything, things she hasn't even told her friends, and he's told her everything in return, every scared thought he's had since joining the marines. But then he's looking at her, and time unfreezes, and she knows the only thing she wants to do in that moment.

  
She barely even realises she's running towards him until she sees him smiling and running towards her too. They reach each other and she jumps into his arms, wraps her legs around his waist, and kisses him. She thinks she hears the crowd cheer even louder, but she's not concentrating on them.

  
He's kissing her back and she can feel him smiling against her lips. And it's everything she realises she's wanted for the past two years. She doesn't know how long he's here for, and how long he'll be gone again, but he's here right now and that's all that matters.

  
They pull away, her legs still around his waist, their foreheads touching.

  
"I knew you missed me BonBon" He chuckles, his laughter brushing against her lips.

  
She smiles so wide it almost hurts her cheeks, "Not exactly" she whispers before ducking to kiss him again.

  
They kiss more and it feels like she'll never stop smiling. She'll tell him how much she missed him later, when it's just the two of them. He'll tell her how he should have told her how he felt the night he left. Neither of them will overhear the old ladies at the knitting club talking about them, saying things like;

  
"Bonnie and Damon, well we all knew that was inevitable."

  
"I told you she would be the first person he saw when he got back, after writing all those letters."

  
"So many years and so many miles, you don't see love like that much these days"

  
They all mutter their agreement. That's the thing about small towns, you can't keep secrets, but there are still surprises.

  
So a few years later, everyone knows about the ring in Damon's back pocket. Everyone except Bonnie.

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to write more letters between Bonnie and Damon, and add more scenes of them growing up together and being close. But like I said I wrote this 2 years ago and have forgotten everything. Hope you enjoyed it though :)


End file.
